the day of the confederacy-第22章

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minister　had　supplied　information　about　the　ships；　Napoleon　tried
at　first　muzzling　the　press。　But　as　late　as　February；　1864；　he
was　still　carrying　water　on　both　shoulders。　His　Minister　of
Marine　notified　the　builders　that　they　must　get　the　ships　out　of
France；　unarmed；　under　fictitious　sale　to　some　neutral　country。
The　next　month；　reports　which　the　Confederate　commissioners　sent
home　became　distinctly　alarming。　Mann　wrote　from　Brussels：
〃Napoleon　has　enjoined　upon　Maximilian　to　hold　no　official
relations　with　our　commissioners　in　Mexico。〃　Shortly　after　this
Slidell　received　a　shock　that　was　the　beginning　of　the　end：
Maximilian；　on　passing　through　Paris　on　his　way　to　Mexico；
refused　to　receive　him。

The　Mexican　project　was　now　being　condemned　by　all　classes　in
France。　Nevertheless；　the　Government　was　trying　to　float　a
Mexican　loan；　and　it　is　hardly　fanciful　to　think　that　on　this
loan　the　last　hope　of　the　Confederacy　turned。　Despite　the　popular
attitude　toward　Mexico；　the　loan　was　going　well　when　the　House　of
Representatives　of　the　United　States　dealt　the　Confederacy　a
staggering　blow。　It　passed　unanimous　resolutions　in　the　most　grim
terms；　denouncing　the　substitution　of　monarchical　for　republican
government　in　Mexico　under　European　auspices。　When　this　action
was　reported　in　France；　the　Mexican　loan　collapsed。

Napoleon's　Italian　policy　was　now　moving　rapidly　toward　the
crisis　which　it　reached　during　the　following　summer　when　he
surrendered　to　the　opposition　and　promised　to　withdraw　the　French
troops　from　Rome。　In　May；　when　the　loan　collapsed；　there　was
nothing　for　it　but　to　throw　over　his　dear　friends　of　the
Confederacy。　Presently　he　had　summoned　Arman　before　him；　〃rated
him　severely；〃　and　ordered　him　to　make　bona　fide　sales　of　the
ships　to　neutral　powers。　The　Minister　of　Marine　professed
surprise　and　indignation　at　Arman's　trifling　with　the　neutrality
of　the　Imperial　Government。　And　that　practically　was　the　end　of
the　episode。

Equally　complete　was　the　breakdown　of　the　Confederate
negotiations　with　Mexico。　General　Preston　was　refused
recognition。　In　those　fierce　days　of　July　when　the　fate　of
Atlanta　was　in　the　balance；　the　pride　and　despair　of　the
Confederate　Government　flared　up　in　a　haughty　letter　to　Preston
reminding　him　that　〃it　had　never　been　the　intention　of　this
Government　to　offer　any　arguments　to　the　new　Government　of　Mexico
。。。nor　to　place　itself　in　any　attitude　other　than　that　of
complete　equality；〃　and　directing　him　to　make　no　further
overtures　to　the　Mexican　Emperor。

And　then　came　the　debacle　in　Georgia。　On　that　same　20th　of
September　when　Benjamin　poured　out　in　a　letter　to　Slidell　his
stored…up　bitterness　denouncing　Napoleon；　Davis；　feeling　the　last
crisis　was　upon　him；　left　Richmond　to　join　the　army　in　Georgia。
His　frame　of　mind　he　had　already　expressed　when　he　said；　〃We　have
no　friends　abroad。〃



Chapter　IX。　Desperate　Remedies

The　loss　of　Atlanta　was　the　signal　for　another　conflict　of
authority　within　the　Confederacy。　Georgia　was　now　in　the
condition　in　which　Alabama　had　found　herself　in　the　previous
year。　A　great　mobile　army　of　invaders　lay　encamped　on　her　soil。
And　yet　there　was　still　a　state　Government　established　at　the
capital。　Inevitably　the　man　who　thought　of　the　situation　from　the
point　of　view　of　what　we　should　now　call　the　general　staff；　and
the　man　who　thought　of　it　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　citizen　of
the　invaded　State；　suffered　each　an　intensification　of　feeling；
and　each　became　determined　to　solve　the　problem　in　his　own　way。
The　President　of　the　Confederacy　and　the　Governor　of　Georgia
represented　these　incompatible　points　of　view。

The　Governor；　Joseph　E。　Brown；　is　one　of　the　puzzling　figures　of
Confederate　history。　We　have　already　encountered　him　as　a　dogged
opponent　of　the　Administration。　With　the　whole　fabric　of　Southern
life　toppling　about　his　ears；　Brown　argued；　quibbled；　evaded；　and
became　a　rallying…point　of　disaffection。　That　more　eminent
Georgian；　Howell　Cobb；　applied　to　him　very　severe　language；　and
they　became　engaged　in　a　controversy　over　that　provision　of　the
Conscription　Act　which　exempted　state　officials　from　military
service。　While　the　Governor　of　Virginia　was　refusing　certificates
of　exemption　to　the　minor　civil　officers　such　as　justices　of　the
peace；　Brown　by　proclamation　promised　his　〃protection〃　to　the
most　insignificant　civil　servants。　〃Will　even　your　Excellency；〃
demanded　Cobb；　〃certify　that　in　any　county　of　Georgia　twenty
justices　of　the　peace　and　an　equal　number　of　constables　are
necessary　for　the　proper　administration　of　the　state
government？〃　The　Bureau　of　Conscription　estimated　that　Brown
kept　out　of　the　army　approximately　8000　eligible　men。　The　truth
seems　to　be　that　neither　by　education　nor　heredity　was　this
Governor　equipped　to　conceive　large　ideas。　He　never　seemed
conscious　of　the　war　as　a　whole；　or　of　the　Confederacy　as　a
whole。　To　defend　Georgia　and；　if　that　could　not　be　done；　to　make
peace　for　Georgiasuch　in　the　mind　of　Brown　was　the　aim　of　the
war。　His　restless　jealousy　of　the　Administration　finds　its
explanation　in　his　fear　that　it　would　denude　his　State　of　men。
The　seriousness　of　Governor　Brown's　opposition　became　apparent
within　a　week　of　the　fall　of　Atlanta。　Among　Hood's　forces　were
some　10；000　Georgia　militia。　Brown　notified　Hood　that　these
troops　had　been　called　out　solely　with　a　view　to　the　defense　of
Atlanta；　that　since　Atlanta　had　been　lost　they　must　now　be
permitted　〃to　return　to　their　homes　and　look　for　a　time　after
important　interests；〃　and　that　therefore　he　did　〃withdraw　said
organizations〃　from　Hood's　command。　In　other　words；　Brown　was
afraid　that　they　might　be　taken　out　of　the　State。　By　proclamation
he　therefore　gave　the　militia　a　furlough　of　thirty　days。　Previous
to　the　issue　of　this　proclamation；　Seddon　had　written　to　Brown
making　requisition　for　his　10；000　militia　to　assist　in　a　pending
campaign　against　Sherman。　Two　days　after　his　proclamation　had
appeared；　Brown；　in　a　voluminous　letter　full　of　blustering
rhetoric　and　abounding　in　sneers　at　the　President；　demanded
immediate　reinforcements　by　order　of　the　President　and　threatened
that；　if　they　were　not　sent；　he　would　recall　the　Georgia　troops
from　the　army　of　Lee　and　would　command　〃all　the　sons　of　Georgia
to　return　to　their　own　State　and　within　their　own　limits　to　rally
round　her　glorious　flag。〃

So　threatening　was　the　situation　in　Georgia　that　Davis　attempted
to　take　it　into　his　own　hands。　In　a　grim　frame　of　mind　he　left
Richmond　for　the　front。　The　resulting　military　arrangements　do
not　of　course　belong　strictly　to　the　subject　matter　of　this
volume；　but　the　brief　tour　of　speechmaking　which　Davis　made　in
Georgia　and　the　interior　of　South　Carolina　must　be　noticed；　for
his　purpose　seems　to　have　been　to　put　the　military　point　of　view
squarely　before　the　people。　He　meant　them　to　see　how　the　soldier
looked　at　the　situation；　ignoring　all　demands　of　locality；　of
affiliation；　of　hardship；　and　considering　only　how　to　meet　and
beat　the　enemy。　In　his　tense　mood　he　was　not　always　fortunate　in
his　expressions。　At　Augusta；　for　example；　he　described
Beauregard；　whom　he　had　recently　placed　in　general　command　over
Georgia　and　South　Carolina；　as　one　who　would　do　whatever　the
President　told　him　to　do。　But　this　idea　of　military
self…effacement　was　not　happily　worded；　and　the　enemies　of　Davis
seized　on　his　phraseology　as　further　evidence　of　his　instinctive
autocracy。　The　Mercury　compared　him　to　the　Emperor　of　Russia　and
declared　the　tactless　remark　to　be　〃as　insulting　to　General
Beauregard　as　it　is　false　and　presumptuous　in　the　President。〃

Meanwhile　Beauregard　was　negotiating　with　Brown。　　Though　they
came　to　an　understanding　about　the　disposition　of　the　militia；
Brown　still　tried　to　keep　control　of　the　state　troops。　When
Sherman　was　burning　Atlanta　preparatory　to　the　March　to　the　Sea；
Brown　addressed　to　the　Secretary　of　War　another　interminable
epistle；　denouncing　the　Confederate　authorities　and　asserting
his　willingness　to　fight　both　the　South　and　the　North　if　they
did　not　both　cease　invading　his　rights。　But　the　people　of　
Georgia　were　better　balanced　than　their　Governor。　Un